I signed up for a beginner MSF course which started today to learn how to ride, and much to my surprise I was so unlucky to receive the MSF instructor from HELL. I was in a class of 8 people. There was an extra person in the class that had not signed up prior to. I think he was a friend of the instructor because he came in late and did not get dismissed as the rules say. The course was not at all as I expected. I have alway been a passenger on bikes and had no riding experience. When I paid for the class, I confirmed that the class was for beginners who had no riding experience and was told that was correct. The first part of the class today was supposed to be class instruction but consisted of the class finding answers to the review questions in the back of the MSF book and watching a few videos. It was not exactly a detailed, informative session as I had expected. After lunch, we went out to get on the bikes. The instructor proceeded to fly through the controls and the process of cranking the bikes. He then had us to briefly practice with the clutch and do the power walk, After doing the power walk a few times, he informed me that he did not feel I was learning the process. I explained that I signed up for a beginner course but was made to feel like I was holding the class up. Instead of patiently working through the process with me, the instructor was a very impatient jerk. I was one of two people in the class that had no riding experience. All the others had riding experience. He was letting the ones with riding experience determine his class. I feel like only BEGINNERS should be allowed in the BEGINNER class. This was a very bad experience for me, but he did not break my spirit of learning to ride. Not sure if I will learn through another MSF course. My tolerance for jerks gets lower as I get older.

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If at first you don't succeed, dust yourself off and try again.

My wife took her BRC in July, and had never been on a running motorcycle. She had a wonderful experience, (except for the triple digit temperature) and left the class with more confidence and desire to ride.

There should be an option to retake the class with another instructor, at a reduced rate, in cases of student/instructor incompatibility.

What you describe isn't anything like my BRC either. Although I was one of the people in the class with previous experience, there were several people with no experience, and at no time was there any pressure for the beginers to "catch up", and the class was definitely geared toward their pace.

I'll chime in a bit because no one knows how difficult she can be to get along with better than me(Luv ya Hun)! This case was not her fault. She has been excited beyond belief to get her chance to learn to ride, and was very cooperative in gathering equipment, and mentally preparing. As far as name calling she has a long way to go to learn all the good ones, so therefore I will step in and lend a hand. First the instructor was being a major dick, and he is not the first that has been encountered during a BRC. I push my friends to take the course and always try to find out as much as possible about their experience so I can push others to take it. I hear about 25-30% complaining about instructors that are not tolerant of newbs. IT IS A BEGINNERS F'ING COURSE! If you don't like newbs don't teach BRC. I hate teaching anything so I don't. So my summary is as follows: Instructor was a dickhead, and just so you don't feel left out Dakez, YOU SIR ARE A TWATWAFFLE!

They are granting her a refund which is great. It is very difficult for her to schedule due to her work so hopefully she can find another class before end of season. She wants to ride some during winter and I won't let her touch pavement till BRC is completed! Thanks for everyone's input and keep'em coming. All names from me are good natured!

I signed up for a beginner MSF course which started today to learn how to ride, and much to my surprise I was so unlucky to receive the MSF instructor from HELL. ...snip.... The course was not at all as I expected. ...snip... I feel like only BEGINNERS should be allowed in the BEGINNER class. This was a very bad experience for me, but he did not break my spirit of learning to ride. Not sure if I will learn through another MSF course. My tolerance for jerks gets lower as I get older.

It is unfortunate you feel the instructor was not professional with the manner he spoke to you.

As an instructor myself, what you have described is exactly what the MSF Beginning Rider's Course is supposed to be. MSF provides a script and a schedule. If the instructor spent 45 minutes or more before telling you that you were not progressing, then he was most likely properly following MSF guidelines.

You indicated that you paid for this class. If this is a private for-profit school you could try calling them and expressing your expectations and see if they can place you with a different instructor or class. Otherwise you may consider finding someone who can provide one on one instruction.

After lunch, we went out to get on the bikes. The instructor proceeded to fly through the controls and the process of cranking the bikes. He then had us to briefly practice with the clutch and do the power walk,

Generally you get the book in advance. Most students, even those who have never seen a motorcycle or used a clutch, find that 10-20 minutes of waddling across the range is sufficient to learn the basics. Still, it isn't for everyone.

Perhaps Mr. 6gun can help you practice on a static bike (ie parked in the garage). If you learn where the brake is, where the clutch is, where the ignition is, it'll probably help.

yep I am not sure how a noob feels and I can say this if you want fun and sloooooowwwwwww pace

enroll in the ABATE course at Richmond Indiana!

even though I rode everyday for a year before going! I could see that this class was for beginners just like me !

Now my bike is non stock sohc! sevenfifty honda!

so my bike had no kill switch, no turn signals and no tach and the little bikes were so cool I was slinging them around like toys!

the guys who ran the place there were four of them! so if you needed to have an extra bit of time then you GOT IT

Now sad to say but facts are facts every year these guys rank top 5 testing center every single year since the group has started in the COUNTRY! no one in my class scored lower than 90 on the written test! and no one scored except one out of 15 lower than 93 on the riding course!

ME personally I scored perfect on riding and so did another guy who lived in Indy,

I scored 94 in written and the other guy who tied me on riding scored a 100 percent

so he got the cool prize they hand out.

I can honestly say that I would love to go back and do the figure 8's and have the fellowship all over again!